Older American Politics, I'd like to know...

[Norbert L]

What does chasing down a hoodoo there mean? It's from a song written by a band called Creedence Clearwater Revival during the time of the Vietnam war.

 

[bèlla]

It’s a system of magic commonly found in Louisiana. The Hoodoo Man uses herbs and roots do his work. It is a derivative of African Traditional religions.

 

[Radagast]

What does chasing down a hoodoo there mean? It's from a song written by a band called Creedence Clearwater Revival during the time of the Vietnam war.

According to John Fogerty himself, "Hoodoo is a magical, mystical, spiritual, non-defined apparition, like a ghost or a shadow, not necessarily evil, but certainly other-worldly."

 

[Norbert L]

It’s a system of magic commonly found in Louisiana. The Hoodoo Man uses herbs and roots do his work. It is a derivative of African Traditional religions.

So he is chasing a Hoodoo Man with his dog? What for?

 

[Norbert L]

According to John Fogerty himself, "Hoodoo is a magical, mystical, spiritual, non-defined apparition, like a ghost or a shadow, not necessarily evil, but certainly other-worldly."

So if you're chasing an apparition, that means it's something that you can't define?

I'm just wondering if it's an expression about something that has a common definition by people living there and then.

 

[bèlla]

I’m not familiar with the song but I know the term and what it references. My family is Creole.

The word is used to describe a type of magic, for its practitioners, and victims. For example, she hoodooed you.

 

[bèlla]

According to John Fogerty himself, "Hoodoo is a magical, mystical, spiritual, non-defined apparition, like a ghost or a shadow, not necessarily evil, but certainly other-worldly."

It’s an oral tradition. Few whites had access. There is someone who did extensive research on it. I won’t give the name. It will lead people astray.

Keep in mind, there are Cajuns and Creoles in that area.

 

[Radagast]

It’s an oral tradition. Few whites had access.

John Fogerty wrote the song. It reflects his understanding of what the word means.

 

[Radagast]

So if you're chasing an apparition, that means it's something that you can't define?

If you think of it as "the dog was barking at a ghost," that's more or less what John Fogerty had in mind.

I don't think he'd ever been "down to the bayou" himself.

 

[Norbert L]

John Fogerty wrote the song. It reflects his understanding of what the word means.

Well he's still alive. Not sure if he could answer my question about what he means by those words.

 

[bèlla]

John Fogerty wrote the song. It reflects his understanding of what the word means.

But that isn’t what it means. Hence my response. I know from personal experience.

Now the OP is more informed.

 

[bèlla]

Well he's still alive. Not sure if he could answer my question about what he means by those words.

That is how he imagined it. He never went there. And it’s unlikely anyone would have corrected the error. They’re very secretive.

At any rate. You have more to go on.

 

[Radagast]

But that isn’t what it means. Hence my response. I know from personal experience.

Now the OP is more informed.

The OP asked about the meaning of the line in the song.

John Fogerty wrote the song. The line reflects his understanding of what the word means.

 

[bèlla]

The OP asked about the meaning of the line in the song.

There’s nothing to debate. I told him I wasn’t familiar with the song in the beginning.

 

[Radagast]

Well he's still alive. Not sure if he could answer my question about what he means by those words.

He already answered that in an interview. I'll quote him again:

"Hoodoo is a magical, mystical, spiritual, non-defined apparition, like a ghost or a shadow, not necessarily evil, but certainly other-worldly."

See Finding Fogerty: Interdisciplinary Readings of John Fogerty and Creedence Clearwater Revival, Lexington Books, page 10.

 

[cow451]

This is a political forum. I was wondering if there is a relevant reason to ask the question here.

Perhaps implying the American public was tricked into supporting the war. Or that trying to defeat the VC and NVA was like chasing a ghost.

Or updating it to imply the current President had used some “magic” to secure support from enough special interests to pull off a tremendous upset in 2016.

Or is the OP practicing hoodoo?

 

[Chesterton]

Thread is burying the lead about this song. We need to know how, why and when to "choogle".

 

[hislegacy]

Did you know they didn’t all live in a yellow submarine?

It’s a song. Good grief.